The Color of Love

Chapter 10

Liam woke up with a big smile on his face. Today was another day yet there was something special to it. He thought about Lilly and the baby she was carrying. It was their child. It was the symbol of the love they had for each other. Liam spent most of his childhood days alone with no other siblings to play with. Of course, he had friends in school. But at home, it was merely adults -- his grandparents and his mother. Having a baby in the family would be delightful. The baby was sure to bring joy to the house. 

Today was the day he was going to tell the news about Lilly's pregnancy to their parents. In the morning, he went to Lilly's house to talk to her father. Upon reaching Lilly's home, he rang the doorbell and she answered it. She looked quite nervous. 

"Hey, come in."

Liam sensed the tension in her face. "Nervous?"

"Obviously. I think my heart is going to explode any minute now."

He took her hands in his. Her hands were clammy.

"I thought it was all over last night. God, your hands are so cold."

"I'm just worried about how Dad would take it."

"Listen. We're not kids in high school anymore. I'm know you're Dad would be happy at the thought of having a grandchild. Trust me."

"Good morning, kids!!" Lilly almost jumped in fright. Her dad was passing by the living room on the way to the kitchen to have breakfast. It was eight in the morning. "Who wants breakfast? C'mon, join me." He continued walking towards the kitchen as his voice trailed off. 

Liam whispered to Lilly, "This is the perfect time. Let's go."

They made their way to the kitchen with their hands holding on tightly to each other. 

"Aaah waffles..." Mr. Dupont inhaled the aroma of freshly cooked waffles and brewed coffee. Liam and Lilly took a seat at a four-seater round table while Mr. Dupont placed one waffle on each of their plates. "You know, when Lilly was little, maybe around six years old, she would always make me breakfast in bed during Saturdays. More often than not, her waffles were burned but I didn't care. I'd still eat them because I didn't want her to feel bad. That's how much I love my daughter." Mr. Dupont was casually talking to Liam. The tone of his voice was reminiscent. Lilly was his one and only and she was his life. He laid the plates on the table, got the maple syrup and butter from the fridge and took a seat across them. 

"That's sweet." Liam reacted to Mr. Dupont's tale with a smile on his face. Mr. Dupont has started devouring his waffles when Liam said, "Umm... Sir, we need to tell you something..." 

"Shoot. What is it?" He did not stop eating. His eyes fixed on his favorite breakfast. "Do I smell a marriage coming up soon?" He added before Liam could open his mouth.

"It's not really that, sir."

"I couldn't take another guess. What is it?"

"...Lilly's pregnant..." Their secret was finally out. All of a sudden, Mr. Dupont stopped chewing, his mouth still stuffed with food. His eyes suddenly darted from his plate to Liam and then to Lilly. Lilly could feel her heart pounding on her chest once more. "You mean I'm going to be a grandfather?"

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, yeah!!!" Mr. Dupont quickly jumped out of his seat while grabbing a glass of water to calm him down. He was so thrilled and Lilly couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was stuck in her seat while watching her father's reaction to the news. Liam squeezed her hand from under the table. "I told you so." He whispered then winked at her. Mr. Dupont walked to his daughter and gave her a reassuring and accepting embrace. "I love you, my princess."

"I love you too, Dad."

"Do your parents know about this already?"

"I'm planning to tell my mother later this afternoon."

"Ok sounds great. Please update me about it."

"You can be sure, sir."

When everything was settled, they all finished their food. After breakfast, Liam said goodbye and drove to the boutique where his mother was. He made his way to her desk and saw her talking on the phone. She hung up just as Liam sat down on a chair beside her. "Hi, Mom."

"Where've you been? I've been looking for you all morning."

"Lilly's."

"Oh I see. How is she? I haven't seen her in a while. Are you two okay?"

"Of course, Mom. See, there's something you need to know." Telling his mom was easier than he thought. There was no other person in the world he could trust other than his mother. 

"What?"

"Lilly and I are having a baby."

"Oh my god, Liam..." Alice was shocked and rendered quite speechless to the news. All her struggles as a single mother came flashing back to her. Her little boy was now going to be a father. She couldn't be more than happy.

"Am I..." She struggled to finish her sentence with one hand on her chest.

"You definitely are." 

"Aww... Congratulations, son. I'm so happy for you. Did you tell Lilly's father about it already?"

"Just this morning.

"What did he say? What was his reaction?"

"Same as yours. He was thrilled."

"Wow. I think it's about time you introduce me to him. What are your plans? I mean you and Lilly."

"We haven't talked about it yet."

"Why don't you call Lilly's dad and tell him we're having dinner tonight. We'll meet them at Bozu around seven."

"You're the greatest, Mom. Thank you." Alice gave Liam a hug and kissed him on the cheek. 

"You deserve to be happy."

Liam called Lilly first and told her that he had already told his mom. Lilly felt so relieved about their reactions. Then, he dialled Mr. Dupont to inform him about the dinner. He graciously accepted the invitation and agreed to meet at seven.

Come evening, Alice and Liam made sure they were in the restaurant early. They arrived at six forty five and took a table. After ten minutes, Liam received a text message from Lilly. "They're here." He stood up and walked out to the parking lot to meet them. As they entered, Lilly scanned the area. She could see Mrs. Evan's back from where she stood. They walked up to the table. Liam tapped his mom on the shoulder.

"Mom, this is Lilly's father, Mr. Dupont." Alice stood up and looked up to him to shake his hand. But as she held out her hand, both of them stared at each other in shock.

"William?..."

"Ally..."

******

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